Investigation of low-temperature plasmas formed in low-density gases surrounding laser-produced plasmas

Abstract Low-temperature plasma production is possible as a result of photoionization using high-intensity extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft X-ray (SXR) pulses. Plasma of this type is also present in outer space, e.g., aurora borealis. It also occurs when high-velocity objects enter the atmosphere, during which period high temperatures can be produced locally by friction. Low-temperature plasma is also formed in an ambient gas surrounding the hot laser-produced plasma (LPP). In this work, a special system has been prepared for investigation of this type of plasma. The LPP was created inside a chamber filled with a gas under a low pressure, of the order of 1–50 mbar, by a laser pulse (3–9 J, 1–8 ns) focused onto a gas puff target. In such a case, the SXR/EUV radiation emitted from the LPP was partially absorbed in the low-density gas. In this case, high- and low-temperature plasmas (Te ~100 eV and ~1 eV, respectively) were created locally in the chamber. Investigation of the EUV-induced plasmas was performed mainly using spectral methods in ultraviolet/visible (UV/VIS) light. The measurements were performed using an echelle spectrometer, and additionally, spatial–temporal measurements were performed using an optical streak camera. Spectral analysis was supported by the PGOPHER numerical code.